Endless
by Lonely Violet Lacey
Summary: A fifteen year old orphan named May was only a helper to the cooks, including her uncle; until a strange, yet intriguing young man helps her carry some crates one day, surely making their friendship blossom from the start and question if there's more to it later on. (ColexOC, story and art belongs to cartoonartist, I just write it out for her; can be found on deviantart)
1. Accidental

The cold was harsh, wind blew continuously throughout the day, at least a foot or two of snow could be found in any direction; but the people, well, most of the people were accustomed to it by now, for this was Haven, and the cold never forgave the ill prepared. Soldiers were training under the formerly Knight Commander Cullen, who trains his soldiers tirelessly without fault to prepare for the wound in the sky that cried demons constantly, the breach. With "The Herald of Andraste", a female Elven rouge, recruited in this Inquisition, fights were sure to happen, riots were leashed with thread, and people struggled for peace with the Templars moving in to help fight for the cause.

All that of that wasn't on a certain young one's mind though, a young girl at the age of fifteen who's dark brown braids constantly caught the wind as she did her chores and helped out the Inquisition as much as she could.

"OUCH!" The young girl squealed in pain as she bounced back to hold her hurt toe through her leather shoe.

"Someone has butterfingers." One of the men who were helping with carrying the boxes of supplies commented as he passed by the poor girl.

She huffed before lifting the box again and nearly falling backwards, but someone or something had supported her and helped her stand up right. She looked up to see that a man with a rather large hat had stopped her from falling.

"Do you need help with that?" The man asked as he cocked his head slightly while the young girl turned around and took a step back in shock.

"Uh… Sure." She answered back rather hesitantly, due to the fact that the man looked awfully tired with his pale blue eyes and blond hair covering most of the top of his face. She could barely react though when he easily took the heavy box out of her hands.

"Where is this going?" He asked.

She had to blink a few times before gaining her cool and grabbing a lighter box, "To the kitchen," she looked away for a moment before leading the way, "Thank you, my name is May." She kindly smiled at him, "What's your name?"

"I'm Cole." He answered, "I came to help because I heard you got hurt due to this box, did you make it mad?"

May was taken back for a moment, but quickly shook it off, "No, well… I don't think I made it mad, I just dropped it is all."

"Things don't like being dropped." He retorted rather plainly.

"No, I guess they don't." she replied while letting out a light giggle.

"What's funny? Did the box say something and I didn't hear it?" He asked curiously while looking at his and her box.

She giggled more, "No, I just thought what you said was funny, that's all."

"Oh…" He contemplated for a moment, "So, I'm funny? Most of the time other people don't understand me well, and I have to repeat myself in a different way."

"Well, you're making sense to me, so don't worry." She smiled up at him and he returned the favor with a small smile, showing life in his life-less face.

A moment had pass before the silence got to her, she at thought that at least Cole would say something else, but he was just quiet. Struggling to find what to say, she asked, "Hey, what do you like to do?" She chirped, trying to get him to talk again and keep a conversation going.

"I like to help people." He stated rather proudly.

"That's cool, I like helping people too." She replied.

"Really? So you like to untangle the hurt and make the people feel better?" he turned his attention to her and was rather happily curious as to what she had to say.

"I um…" she was stumped, "I do chores and help people that way, I don't really help them emotionally." She laughed awkwardly while looking away.

"You do help them though." She looked back at him curiously, "It's like a table, if one leg is too short, then everything that's on the table will eventually fall off. So, you're just as important as the next person who's carrying supplies."

May smiled brightly, "Thank you Cole." The sounds of swords and shields clashing could be heard from their left; May took a quick glance to see _him_, then turned her attention back forward with a stiff posture.

"Is something the matter?" Cole asked after seeing her rather odd posture.

"Huh?" She looked back up at Cole, then looked back at _him. _"Oh, no, it's nothing, really?" she sheepishly said before looking back forward.

Cole raised an eyebrow and kept eye contact with her, "You're lying. Why are you lying to me?"

May had a hard time swallowing the lump in her throat, "I just… I don't know…." She looked back at _him _again.

Cole followed her gaze to the soldiers, then the person who stood out the most in the middle of the training soldiers, "Is it Commander Cullen?" She hesitantly nodded. "Why are you nervous to admit that you were staring at him?"

"Um…" She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, "I like his hair."

"Is that it?" She nodded, "People shouldn't lie." He stated

She sighed, "Yah… You're right, I'm sorry."

"It's ok May." He paused for a moment, "Do you like my hair?"

"What?" May arched an eyebrow at the boy.

"Is my hair alright? Like Commander Cullen's?"

She contemplated for a moment while seeing the only hair that showed out of his hat, "I can't tell, you're hat's in the way.

He thought to himself in silence for a moment, then abruptly put the box down and took off his hat, "How about now?"

May giggled, "You have hat hair."

"Is that bad?" He tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"Hmmm…" She studied his hair for a moment, "It looks alright."

"How can I make it better?"

"Well, you could lose the hat and ruffle your hair a bit, women love messy hair." Cole turned around and was met with the only Qunari in all of Haven.

"I like my hats, The Iron Bull." Cole replied by putting his hat back on and picking up the box.

May smiled brightly, "Hey Bull!"

"Hey kiddo," Bull complied with a small wave and a nice smile, "Feel like being tossed around later? My men need the practice."

"Sure, I'll be back later." She answered, before leading the way again to the kitchen with Cole sticking by her side.

"You like being tossed around? Like a rag doll?" Cole asked with curiosity.

"Yah," she chirped, "It's fun! Iron Bull picks me up and tosses me over to his boys." She looked over at him to see his face had a hint of worry in it, "They never drop me though, so don't worry."

"Fire searing, wood falling, adrenaline pounding like a hammer to an anvil, a child in one arm, a two handed weapon in the other. "I can't fight with an injured kid!" Rage building, muscles sore from the heavy weapon, he put the child down for a moment, and the child died due to his injuries. "Wasn't fast enough, couldn't get the kid out in time." No pay rewarded." Silence fell harder than a boulder as May tried to understand what he just said.

"Cole…?" She asked hesitantly, "Who are you talking about?"

"Hm?" Cole looked over at her, "The Iron Bull of course, he uses you to train his men so then another child won't die because of him. He feels guilt from it, but forgets about it most of the time, knowing he won't let that happen again."

May tilted her head to the side, "You're interesting Cole…"

"Oh? Why thank you! You're quite interesting too!" Cole exclaimed rather joyfully.

"Thanks." She giggled, "You know, if there's anything you want to ask me, you can."

"Really?" She nodded, "What do you like to do? Besides helping people, I mean." He seemed nervous with his words for some reason, "Usually people like to do more than one thing right? Or is that only with some people?"

"Well… I suppose it just depends on the person, everyone is different. To answer your question though, I love reading books, like books about fairytales and such are the best, and princesses and everything." She happily admitted while adjusting the box, "That's what I sort of imagine Orlais to be like, which is why I adore Vivienne! She looks like she just walked straight out of a book."

Cole looked at her questioningly, "I… don't think she's walked out of a book."

May giggled, "Not literally of course, she just… looks so elegant in her attire." She paused for a moment, "Have you talked to her? What is she like?"

"Yes… I have." He looked away for a moment, "The Fade calls out to her, but she ignores, never listens, she thinks she knows what's best." He shook his head, "She calls me a demon, and refuses to let me help her."

"What?" May was taken back, "Why would she call you a demon?"

"Because I'm a spirit in human form."

May stopped in her place from disbelief, "A… Spirit?"

Cole looked back at her with a tint of sadness, "Does it bother you? I can make you forget if it does after I'm done helping you."

What… a spirit? He doesn't even look like a spirit, could he be crazy? Is that why he's so quiet and insecure? No, if he were crazy, he'd be like Sera. She took a deep breath to calm her mind and at least try to speak normally, "I don't care if you're a spirit or demon, as long as we're friends, ok?"

"Friend?" Cole questioned, "Usually people are scared of me, you're not?" He quickly answered himself, "No, you're not scared of me, I don't feel that you are."

"So… you can feel what other people feel?" May questioned, "What kind of spirit are you then?"

"He is a spirit of compassion," A voice spoke out from behind May, "He helps people by delving into their minds and healing the pain they have through compassion and understanding, then afterwards, he makes them forget because he is no longer needed to them."

May turned around to see a bald elf in non-servant or soldier attire, "Hi Solas."

He nodded, "Good evening, May."

"So, he's a spirit who helps people? I thought when spirits or demons came out of the fade, they look different, and not in a good way." May stated.

"They usually do," Solas replied, "Cole is special though, we don't know how he became this way, nor does he, but he is a crucial ally in the Inquisition now, and is well respected by only a few, mostly by Lavellan's company."

May looked back at Cole, "You're with Lavellan? The people who's been calling her "The Herald of Andraste"?"

"Yes," Cole plainly replied, "Is that so weird?"

"Well…" May chose her words carefully, "You just don't seem like the type of person to fight."

"Why not?" He asked.

"I just…" she shrugged her shoulders and looked away for a short moment, "I shouldn't have judged you, I'm sorry, I did just meet you after all."

"It's alright," He reassured with a small smile, "A lot of people misjudge me."

"I can imagine…" she mumbled.

"Just curious," Solas spoke up, "Where are you taking those supplies May?"

"Huh?" She averted her attention from Cole, "To the kitchen."

"The kitchen is back there, isn't it?" He pointed towards the center of Haven, which wasn't too far from where Solas normally perched, "You must have skipped it while talking to Cole."

"Oh!" Cole was surprised, "I'm terribly sorry, I did not mean to distract you, May."

"It's quite alright Cole," She reassured with a shy smile, "You're nice to talk to."

"So… It's ok to forget about a chore because I'm nice to talk to…?" Cole asked with slight confusion while tilting his head to the side.

"I guess it's not when you put it that way…" She sighed heavily before turning around and leading the way to the kitchen with Cole tailing her.

"Oh? Did I upset you?" Cole asked with a hint of worry.

"No, you didn't," She turned her head just enough to catch his eyes in her peripheral vision, "it was my fault for not noticing, not yours."

"But I distracted you," He retorted, "So it's at least partially my fault for distracting you."

May grunted in defeat, she wasn't going to convince this boy that she normally doesn't forget and was going to take the blame for it all, but he was just so… compassionate. She caught her thoughts and laughed on the inside at her own words, knowing very well she just described the boy for who he is, literally, "Alright Cole, you win, it was partially your fault." She sarcastically said while giggling.

"I win?" He questioned, "Were we fighting?"

"Well, not really…" she looked away for a moment to think, "If we were fighting, one or both of us would be hurt."

"Yes… but, was this hurtful to you then?" He hesitantly asked.

"No Cole, I'm fine, thank you." She gave him a cute smile before turning her attention to the back entrance of the kitchen, "And thank you for helping!" She chirped as she opened the door, showing the kitchen staff cooking and others cleaning.

"You're welcome, May." He replied as he put the box down next to the door.

"It was nice meeting you," She put the box down next to his then turned around and held out her hand, "I hope we can become friends."

Cole seemed distracted though, he was looking over his shoulder to see a couple soldiers walking by, "Mouth watering, stomach aching, churning, wanting something to eat like mother's cooking. "Her cooking was the best, if the meat wasn't so dry, it may remind me of her. I miss my mom"." Cole mumbled to himself.

May tilted her head to the side, "I thought spirits didn't have moms."

"May, are those the supplies?"

She turned around and saw a man calling her over, "Yes uncle." She turned back around to see that Cole was gone. She hesitated to go outside to look for him, but closed the door and helped with the supplies due to her uncle needing her.

"Two boxes? You didn't carry these yourself did you?" Her uncle questioned her as he ruffled her hair, "The last I check you didn't fucking grow muscles overnight"

"No, a guy helped me, he's with The Herald." She replied as she helped him set the tools in their correct places.

"Really? What's his name?"

"Cole, I think he's new here, I haven't seen him before."

"Never heard of him, probably is new." He complied as they finished unpacking, letting him go back to cooking.

She paused for a moment, contemplating what Cole had said about the meat…

"Why are you just standing there like dry paint? If you have something on your mind, speak up!" Her uncle stated as he pulled out some meat.

She snapped out of it and went over to her uncle's side, "I think the soldiers would like stew for a change." She claimed as she tailed him.

"Hm? Why's that?" He curiously asked.

"Because they think the meat's dry, so it might be a nice change, wouldn't it?" She asked with hopeful eyes.

"Alright, why the fuck not," He stated as he turned around to face his kitchen staff, "Hey, we're making stew today!" He ordered, "So get the ladles and the vegetables and get to chopping!"

The staff obeyed and did what he said as May happily got some broth and helped them cook.

An hour had past, the stew was made and already being devoured by the hungry soldiers and The Herald's companions.

"Hey kid, May init?" May went over to the blonde elf, "This was your doin yah?"

May nodded, "Yah, do you like it?"

"Well, it's hell of a lot better than last night's meal, didn't think that grouchy uncky of yours would change it up a bit." She at a spoonful of the stew then wiped some of the contents that were on her face onto her sleeve, "Thanks a bunches May."

May nodded and smiled, "You're welcome Sera." A heavy hand patted her on the back, nearly making her fall over.

"Thanks kid." She turned around and met Bull, "It's a nice change, you should get them to cook more variety often."

May giggled, "Thank you Bull, I'll try."

"Hey May." She turned back around to see that Cullen had called her over, "Thanks, this is really good, you should take over the kitchen more often."

"Really?" a spark of excitement pounced onto her soul, as he nodded. "Thank you Commander Cullen!" She held in her nervousness just enough to be excused and go back to her Uncle's side.

"The soldier's look hell of a lot happier thanks to your suggestion." Her uncle complimented as he ruffled her hair, "If they'd speak up more we'd know what the fuck they'd want. Good thing you're around, huh?" They both shared a laughed.

She looked up at her uncle in his blue eyes and smiled brightly, "Thank you, but it was Cole who listened to the soldiers, sort of."

"I'd thank him if he were here," he started to help clean up the place, "If you see this Cole again, tell him to get his arse over here so then I can thank him in person."

"Sure." She snuck away after their conversation and went to the cupboards on the other side of the room, opening it to reveal one warm bowl of stew she had saved for Cole, because she hadn't seen him in the mess hall yet and didn't want him to go hungry or anything of the sort. So she took the bowl and walked out of the kitchen to find Solas.

With one swift scan of the room, she found him about to head out the door and quickly caught up to him without spilling a drop of the stew, "Hey Solas, where's Cole?"

Solas turned around and looked down at her, "He's probably somewhere, I'm surprised he let you remember him actually."

"Oh, ok." She looked away with a little disappointment.

"Goodnight May." Solas finished as he walked out the door.

"Goodnight Solas." May replied before heading back to the kitchen, wondering where Cole would be.


	2. Hide and Seek

With a long, silent sigh, May's mind continued to clutter and distract her by the mere thought of where Cole could have run off to. It was bad enough that she couldn't focus on the task at hand for no more than ten seconds; but she's already cut her finger two times due to her wandering mind. The cuts weren't bad, but it was enough to get her uncle's attention and warn her that if she cut herself again, he'd kick her out of the kitchen for the rest of the day. Of course though, she knew he only did what was best for her, even if it meant that she couldn't do what she loved because of her wandering thoughts.

As her mind drifted back off to the thought of where Cole could be, she felt something lukewarm drip off her finger; snapping her attention back to reality, she looked down and saw there was blood on the knife.

Her blood… and her uncle, Loch, noticed.

With an angry grunt, his cold glare was ice-y and unforgiving this time, "What the fuck May? Why the hell do you keep nearly slicing your own finger off?! This isn't like you." He folded his arms and kept his focus on her guilty filled face.

"I just… I can't focus today, I'm sorry." She averted her chocolate eyes for a moment before looking back up and meeting his glare.

"Go get some air then, you're done for the day. I won't have you slicing your damn fingers off for food just because you can't fucking focus." He pointed to the exit, "Now go."

May nearly protested, since it was only noon, but knew she could never argue with him, nor did she want to. Without any hesitation, except for the fact that she was ashamed of herself for letting a guy she only met the other day distract her so terribly, and admittedly a little furious with herself for cutting her finger three times in the same day within only a few hours. She hadn't cut her fingers in several years, nothing made sense to her at the moment; but now she could help ease her mind by searching for the boy who distracted her in the first place.

With the door slammed shut behind her, along with the cold wind blowing at her simple green dress and brown braids, she could only imagine how long it would take her uncle to cool off… but, that wasn't too important now, to her anyways, finding where Cole was and at least talking to him would be nice.

She walked around Haven for a bit, leaving several snowy footprints in her place as she checked behind and inside random buildings; eventually getting to the gates, Iron Bull spotted her and tilted his head to the side, wonder why the hell she was running all over Haven, so he waved her over. She did as he gestured and went over to the giant, yet regular sized Qunari.

"Hey kiddo," He greeted as he took a quick glance at her and saw that her hand, more so some of her fingers, were bandaged up, "how are you?"

"Hey Bull," She happily greeted back with a smile as she massaged her sore, injured fingers, "I'm alright, sorta cut up some of my fingers by mistake." She laughed lightly and awkwardly admitting to that.

"Well, I hope it was a mistake; it's not every day you see a little girl with bandaged fingers after walking out of the kitchen, now is it?" They shared a small laugh as she looked away, clearly thinking about something else, but tried not to show it too much.

"So, what have you been up Bull? I heard that the Herald took you and a few others out for a mission not too long ago, how was that?"

"It was alright, Sera nearly shot me a few times and kept taking my kills…" He muttered something she couldn't quite hear, but he quickly got back into the conversation, "Solas was boring, as always, never doing anything too extreme that I'd expect other mages to do. He did though catch on fire by his own spell for a moment in the middle of combat." He laughed and smiled softly at the memory of it, "That was funny, should have been there."

May giggled, "Maybe next time I could go." They both laughed.

"Maybe when your older kid." Bull joked, "So, you're clearly thinking about something, mind sharing? Are you perhaps looking for someone? Or something?"

"Oh, well, I'm looking for Cole. Have you seen him by any chance?" She asked with a hopeful gleam in her eyes.

"Sorry kid," He shook his head, "Haven't seen him all day."

The girl pouted and sighed, "Ok… It was nice talking to you though, I'm gonna keep looking for him."

Bull wanted to ask 'why the hell are you looking for that demon anyway' but, by the time he was about to respond, she left and kept looking around rather curiously. He let out a small sigh and a laugh at the sight of her. Kids like her are hard to come by after all, especially in these times.

As May kept looking around, a thought struck through her mind. Solas. He might know where Cole is right? He loves spirits and such, he's sure to know where Cole was. With a smile and a little pep in her step, she quickly found Solas and waved at him as she walked up to him.

"Good afternoon, Solas." She greeted with cheerful smile.

Solas nodded, "Good evening, May. Come to talk about the Fade again?"

She shook her head, "No, I was wondering if you knew where Cole was."

"You seem quite intrigued with him, why is that? I don't see you as the type to make friends with wandering spirits such as Cole." He seemed to have avoided her question with another question.

"Well…" She looked down and pondered about it for a short moment, "He seems interesting, and we're friends. Is it wrong to be concerned for a friend?"

"No, I suppose not." The elf replied, "Searching for him is a fruitless task though, he could be anywhere, so you're merely wasting your time, child."

May hesitated to counter, but she had to ask, "Is he really a spirit though? It's just… really hard to believe."

Solas gave her a snarky look, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to look for him; if you find something interesting, come back to me."

May nodded, "I will, thank you." She went away and looked for Cole once more as Solas found amusement in the child's cute intentions.

After thinking for a moment, May decided to stroll into the tavern where Sera usually hangs out in her continuous search for the blond, hat loving boy. With a quick scan of the building's interior though, Cole was nowhere to be seen. Sera was sitting on a table and for some odd reason, was carving something into the wooden table, but as curious as May could be, she walked up to the blonde elf.

"Hey, Sera." May greeted with a small smile.

The seemingly unstable elf looked up and their eyes met for a moment, May could instantly tell how unstable, or downright crazy, Sera could be by the unpredictability in her hazel eyes, "Hey there, you gonna keep cookin'? Or is that grouchy uncky of yours gonna keep at it?" Sera caught a sight of May's injured hand, "Scratch that, that's probably from cuttin' your little fingers, yah?"

"Huh?" May looked down at her fingers and smiled shyly, "Yah… I couldn't focus today."

"Ah, can only imagine how you would fair when you're in a fight, hah!" Sera snorted while she laughed before finishing her carving.

"What does that say?" May asked as she curiously looked, only to be blocked by Sera scooting over to sit on it.

"Somethin' you shouldn't know till you're older." She snorted while laughing again.

May arched a brow in confusion, but just shrugged it off, "Have you seen Cole?"

Sera's playful smile went sour at the mere mention of his name, "No, why would've I seen it? Be better if it just left already." Sera nearly raised her voice as she threw her arms in the air.

May didn't know what to say at this point, "'It'? Cole's a 'he' though."

"Pfft," Sera just shook her head, "No, it's a demon, nothing more! Like I said, be better if it weren't here, it might conjure demons and other stuff and stuff like the stuff that's fallin' out the bloody sky!"

May was a patient, kind being… But Sera was being rude, and felt rather hurtful about it is as she hid her saddened face with a happy poker face whenever she was sad. So before she lost her patience, she waited for Sera to finish before excusing herself with a hurt-filled tone and wishing Sera a good day before leaving. It was one thing to complain about people, but insulting them? May couldn't understand that...

She just sighed as a cool breeze blew back her braids and showed her sorrow-filled face, almost admitting defeat in not being able to find Cole… but, she was going to ask one more person before she gave up her search and headed back to her uncle. It was close to the time that the Herald was going to set off with her team and seal the breach, so May had to hurry and find her before she left.

Within a short moment of looking around, May spotted the elven Herald, it wasn't that hard since not many elves wear decent quality armor like the dark leather, light rouge ranger armor she wore. May slowed down and gained her breath back before going up to the Herald, "Excuse me," May spoke, "Ms. Herald, if you don't mind, may I ask a question?"

The Herald turned around and smiled, "Why hello there... May, is it?" Her short red hair had a few touches of snow in it, making it look like glitter was in her hair, "Please, call me Sanya, and yes, of course you can."

May nodded with a smile, "Thank you mi' lady, and yes, that's my name. I was wondering where Cole might be."

"Oh?" Sanya smiled, "Don't worry dear, he's around, I assure you." She patted May's head, "Now if you'll excuse me, I must prepare, I hope to see you after we seal the breach." Sanya waved before turning around and leaving May to wander in her own thoughts. With a sigh though, and a light kick to the snow, she turned around and decided to head back to the kitchen, figuring her uncle would let her help now.

**ooOoO0OoOoo**

_The corner's a nice place to stay, out of the way of people and let them work while I watch. _Cole looked through his shaggy blond hair and lifted his head just enough to see beyond the rim of his hat.

"What the fuck May? Why the hell do you keep nearly slicing your own finger off?! This isn't like you." _Concerned, not angry at her; angry at himself for not watching over her, protecting her like he wants. Needs time to think, not wanting that stare she gives him when she's sorry._ _Those big brown eyes that remind him why he loves her like a daughter in the first place._

Cole reached out a helping hand towards May, but pulled it back, knowing no one could see him right now; he followed May out the door and kept a good distance. _Guilty, no May, not guilty; I'm the one who's guilty for making you think. Wait, she was purposely thinking of me… why? Curious like me? Or curious of me…_ He curled his lip and tilted his head as he listened to her conversation with The Iron Bull. Bull knew something was up, yet brought it up casually; yet Cole knows what he thinks of him, despite the fact that the brute's taken a few hits for him already even though they barely know each other. With a small smile, Cole strolled along, easily keeping up with May as she went to Solas.

"He seems interesting, and we're friends. Is it wrong to be concerned for a friend?"

_No, it's not. How am I interesting though? What do I do that makes others fear or take interest in me? I just help people, heal their pain, lift their burdens. How am I a friend though? I helped her, I've helped others, and they don't consider me a friend because I make them forget. Should I have made her forget? I still could…_

"No, I suppose not." The elf replied, "Searching for him is a fruitless task though, he could be anywhere, so you're merely wasting your time, child."

May hesitated to counter, but she had to ask, "Is he really a spirit though? It's just… really hard to believe."

The spirit frowned and tilted his head. _I told the truth… why would she think I lied? No, she doesn't consider me a liar, just something not believable in a world where spirits are scarce and demons are common… I am no demon. _He shook the thoughts out of his head.

Solas gave her a snarky look, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to look for him; if you find something interesting, come back to me."

May nodded, "I will, thank you." She went away and looked for Cole once more as Solas found amusement in the child's cute intentions. Solas looked over to Cole's direction with his lip curled along with an arched brow.

_Solas is close to spirits, so he can see me; no, he can feel my presence. _Cole went back to striding behind May from a good distance before she walked into the tavern. _Why would she go into a bar…? Sera doesn't like me around her, so why would she think I went in there?_ He thought for a moment. _No, she doesn't know about Sera disliking me._ After a moment of hearing Sera talk bad about him from outside, he could barely make out what May said in the end before watching her walk out of the building while quietly shutting the door behind her.

He could sense the sadness within her without even having to look at her saddened face. _Why is she sad…? Should I comfort her? Sera only talked about me though, not her, I don't mind being insulted. Like water over stone, it flows by me, not disturbing me in any way… why did it disturb her?_ He frowned and tilted his head as he watched her walk off while he strolled behind her.

May seemed to lighten up as she talked to Sanya, the Herald. The elf knew Cole was still here, she reassured May of that. _Why is May trying so hard to find me though…?_ The spirit couldn't wrap his head around it at the mere thought of May trying to find him. _I want to say hi… but how would she react to me? I need to, no, want to stay hidden until I know more… Why did she kick the snow though? Disappointment, not in me, herself for not finding me. It's not your fault May… _Cole lowered his hat while shaking his head. _She doesn't understand... _He took a hesitant step forward, after May, but froze in place as thoughts kept streaming through his mind.

_She needs time alone… Maybe she can feel my presence too, but doesn't know it, and that's why she keeps thinking of me. _A small smile unknowingly crept on his pale face. _This feeling of being wanted… not needed, is warming... _He frowned again. _Soon The Herald of Andraste won't need me though… I'll be needed elsewhere when the wound in the sky is healed…_His heart started to lightly ache at the thought. _Maybe The Herald of Andraste will let me stay just a little longer… there are still people who hurt here… Maybe it'll be better if May doesn't see me again._

**ooOoO0OoOoo**

May's laughter filled the air around her while her smile radiated as she was dancing with one of the soldiers around a fire, along with a few other people as Cole sat at a distance on a roof top. _I knew she'd be happy without me…_He showed a small smile as he knew that he was invisible to everyone around them. _The sky is scarred, but healed, I suppose I won't be needed here anymore…_ He wanted to get up, but he just couldn't move, the sight of May being happy made him happy. _Soon she will forget me, like everyone else, she doesn't need me to intervene... no, but she wants me to. _

_Wishing, wanting to see Cole again, dance with him around the warm fire. I wish I could see him… _Cole held his aching chest. _Make sure he's ok… _He shook his head. _I am ok though, she doesn't know that, doesn't need to, but wants to. She cares for me… why? _"Why does she care for me…?" He accidentally let out.

"Cole? Is that you? Mind coming down?"

Cole curiously looked over the rim of the roof and saw Solas looking up in his direction; he obeyed and lightly leapt down perfectly without making a sound, "Yes, Solas? Do you need me?"

Solas paused before looking out to the fire where the people were dancing, they stood next to the bar and stayed in the dimly lit darkness, he turned his attention back to the spirit, "Tell me Cole, why do you think she cares for you?"

"I… I don't know…" Cole frowned as he shook his head.

"You can read her thoughts, why don't you delve into her mind and find out for yourself?"

"I'm scared." The spirit quietly replied.

"Scared?" Solas arched a brow, "Scared of what?"

"The answer." Cole shrugged as he twiddled with his fingers, avoiding eye contact with the elf, "What if I don't understand, like she does with me? She doesn't understand me, and I don't understand her…"

"No," Solas corrected, "she merely doesn't understand the meanings of a spirit here. In a world where demons are common and spirits are scarce, it's normal to hesitate to understand the truth behind spirits. You merely don't understand why she's so caring."

"Do you know?" Cole looked up just enough to see the bottom half of Solas's face through the brim of his hat.

Solas pondered for a moment before looking back to the fire, more specifically, May. He studied her for a moment, "She is a servant of the Inquisition, therefore, she is polite to anyone who comes by so then she won't put more stress on the people around here. Naturally though, she has a warm and accepting heart who loves people, to nurture them, if you will. So her concern for you is merely natural for her, wanting to know if you're all right and not hurt."

The elf merely shrugged, "Although, that is what I've gathered from her being here for the past couple of months, there may be a whole other reason to her caring for you, I don't know, well… not completely know." He pondered for another moment, "She… does seem sad sometimes now that I think about it more…"

"Sad?" Cole tilted his head, "Why would she be sad? She has people who care for her, and she cares for them, she seems to have no pain…"

"She obviously hides her sadness quite well if even you can't sense it," Solas pointed out before looking back over to Cole, "she tends to be nice around others, but when alone, there's always this hint of despair around her… I can't quite peg it as to why…" He glanced back over to May, seeing that she's happily dancing with one of the soldiers, "Do you understand?"

Cole thought for a moment, "She's… like me then…?" He looked up just enough to lock eyes with Solas, "She likes to heal the hurt, to make it easier for them…?"

Solas nodded, "Precisely, she's just not a spirit who can make people forget. She makes friends and continues to help them if they need it."

"I…" He stumbled on his own words, "I don't understand why she's sad though…"

"You don't have to understand it to comprehend that fact that it's there." He shrugged, "Maybe she'll open up to you in due time, or you'll come to an understanding of her."

"I see…" Cole stayed silent for a moment, "So… we're friends…?" His eyes shot wide as he shook his head and started to pace, "So much hatred, kill them all, It demands it…"

Bells started to ring, filling the ears of anyone within a mile radius as people started to frantically run.

"It's the Venatori!" Cullen shouted as he started to close the gate.

**A/N:  
The story and art belongs to cartoonartist on Deviantart, I just write it out.  
Please review and thank you for the favorites/follows! My friend and I appreciate it :)**


	3. Ignition

Only the screams of the pedestrians could be heard as the Venatori advance. Cole started towards May as she was left in shock; her uncle managed to grab her wrist and yank her back to reality as they headed for the chantry. The spirit sighed with relief before blocking out the excess noise coming from the Venatori and other people around him, making sure to only hear the people he knows, and not the rage coming from the other side of the wooden walls.

"To me!" Sanya jumped off the ledge that was behind the campfire and easily leapt over the flames with her twin daggers at ready.

A light pat on Cole's back nearly made him jump, "Come on kid." Varric came out from behind him with his modified crossbow at ready. Cole just nodded while pulling out his daggers and turning invisible before running to the first enemy he sees.

**ooOoO0OoOoo**

Loch tosses a heap of wood that had fallen on one of the servants, trying not to catch himself on fire as the embers flew through the air. May offered a hand and helped the young woman up before letting her uncle take the woman from her and helping her run.

"You're not going anywhere!" A Venatori mage practically had venom backing his tone as he conjured a fire ball in his hand.

Loch quickly pulled a kitchen knife and charged at the mage, taking him by surprise and letting the fireball accidently cease as May's uncle knocked him down, managing to leave a long gash across the mage's chest, "May! Get moving to the Chantry!" Her uncle spouted as he held the tempered mage back.

She took a hesitant step forward, but obeyed and ran to the Chantry; after a few meters, she spots more Venatori, and they're pounding at the strong wooden doors while tossing fire at it; it seems to have some sort of protection ward since the flames merely bounce off of it.

"Hey!" One of the Venatori point to the frozen May, "Get her!"

May yelped before running to the nearest building and crawls into a hole through the side that's just enough for her to squeeze through, then a rough hand grabs her by the ankle, making her scream and kick at the hand, "Let go!" She squealed before delivering one last adrenaline filled kick and hearing a few cracks, probably his bones breaking, as he let go and allowing her to crawl to a corner of the empty home.

"Dammit!" One of the Venatori cursed as they pound at the barricaded door.

"I'll get her." A feminine voice told them as May hears light footsteps get closer to the tiny hole.

With quick thinking, she spotted a bookshelf next to the hole and rushes over to it. She aggressively used her whole body weight to tackle the bookshelf with her shoulder, causing it to slowly tip over and land heavily before the hole, successfully covering it with a loud **BANG!**

"Fucking bitch broke my hand!" The woman cursed as she backed away from the hole.

"That makes two of us, must be a gift." One of them remarks before a loud slap was heard.

"Shut up…" The woman grumbled.

"Just burn the house down," A third voice joins in, "She has nowhere to go now."

May's eyes shot wide as smoke filled the air and the familiar sound of wood crackling under a fire could be heard from above. She looked up to see a small fire forming at the north end of her position, causing her to scream in panic whilst she tried not hyperventilating from the sheer anxiety of the situation.

**ooOoO0OoOoo**

With a final slash at the Venatori's neck, blood spurts and splatters Cole's face and upper torso. He looked through his shaggy blond hair and noticed blood dripping from his hat. _Not my hat…_ He mentally whined. _It's difficult washing the blood out…_ He quickly shook the thoughts out as he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"May!" Loch was frantically looking around the Chantry, "May! Where are you?!"

Cole's eyes widened, "May…" He breathed out before turning invisible and quietly searching for her thoughts. _May… be ok._ A pang of distress hit him like falling bricks as someone else's thoughts filled his head. _The walls seem to get smaller, smoke fills my lungs, it's hard to breathe… I hate being so useless…_ "May…" He followed the thoughts, they kept hammering into his head as he got closer to her. _No one knows I'm here besides the people outside… I'm going to die… and I didn't even get to see my uncle again… why can't I do anything right…?_

His breathing hitched as he clenched his jaw, seeing the very Venatori outside the burning house. _How dare you make her feel that way…_ A scream filled the house as a part of the ceiling started to fall. _How dare you put her in danger!_ "Do you see me…?" He breathed out as he rushed over to them without making a sound.

"Did you hear that?" One of the Venatori pointed out as they started to look around with peeled eyes.

"You **_will_** see me!" Cole lunged at them, slicing two jugulars at once before turning towards the last Venatori, who was just in shock at the sight before trying to gain his composure. Cole wouldn't let that happen and took his chance; digging the dagger deep into the mage's heart, lifting him off the ground and locking eyes with him. The mage trembled and coughed up blood at the fury in the spirit's eyes.

Cole sheathed his dagger before hearing another scream from the house, he turned his attention to the barricaded door, "May?!"

"Cole!" Her shriek instantly filled him with panic as he tried thinking of solutions.

"May, you need to crawl out!" He desperately called out to her.

"I can't! It's blocked!" She started to choke on her words as light sobs could be heard on the other side.

The spirit just wanted to comfort her at that point, a pang of guilt hit his chest as he frantically kept thinking, "Where is it blocked?"

"Over to my left, I blocked it with a bookshelf!" He quickly ran over to the left side of the house and saw the hole being blocked by unsinged wood, "I… I don't know what to do…"

"Can you move at all?" He asked while putting his head to the wooden wall.

"Yes… how far…?" She whimpered out.

He took a deep breath and took a couple steps away from the wall, "Just get away from it, May." He ordered while getting down to the snow and dug his daggers deep into the ground as he practically got down on his back and brought his knees to his chest, "Are you away from it?"

"Y-yes!" She weakly called out.

Cole steadied his breathing, focusing all of his strength in his legs, before he could do anything else, he heard crackling from above and saw the roof was a hair away from falling. He quickly rolled out of the way while pulling his daggers out and letting the side of the roof fall over the hole. He growled to himself as another scream from her filled his ears; sheathing his daggers he got up and called out to her, "May! Are you all right? Can you hear me!?"

The only thing he could hear was the wood crackling under the fire and creaking due to the unbalanced weight. Fear surged through him as he slammed his fist against the wooden wall, "May! Answer me! Please!" panic soon took over at the mere thought of May dying in there because he couldn't get her out in time. He thought of the angry look her uncle would give him when he would have to tell him that May didn't make it. _I tried…_ He shook his head.

"I-I'm here!" Her little voice filled him with relief, but he had to think of something.

"Are you alright?" He silenced his breathing, trying to focus on her voice, and hers alone as other people around him were shouting.

"I'm cornered, I can't move anywhere." He could hear the fear in her voice, he hoped to never have to hear her like this…

"Die!" Cole turned around just in time to see a Venatori aim his staff at him, the ground below him glowed a pattern before it was traced with fire. He leapt away from it just in time as the rune erupted with a loud cackling sound before he rolled to a stop and glared at the mage… of which his head rolled to a stop at his leather shoes.

Cole's face contorted as he looked at the fallen body, to see a man in Grey Warden armor with a rather finely grown black beard along with blueish grey eyes that could pierce anyone's soul with a mere glare.

"Blackwall," Cole quickly stood up, "May's stuck in there, can you break down the door?" He pointed to the burning building.

"What?" He arched a brow at the spirit, "Of course I can." He stalked over to the door, "May, are you close to the door?"

"N-No…" Cole cringed at how hopeless she sounded right now.

"Good." Blackwall raised a heavy iron boot and brought down the door with one swift kick. Cole raced into the burning building and carefully scooped May up before running out and letting the building collapse in on itself, "I've got your back." The Warden told him, "Just take her to the Chantry and I'll distract them."

Cole looked over to his right to see more Venatori advancing toward them, he just nodded, "Thank you." Then ran to the Chantry. May was quivering in his arms as she was holding back her crying, or trying to anyway, but Cole could see she was crying terribly, "Hey," He reassuringly squeezed her shoulder while trying to show a genuine smile, "It'll be all right."

She tightened her grip on him and cried in his chest, "Th-thank you… Cole…"

His stomach tightened as he shoved down his worry for her, "It's ok, you'll be able to see your uncle again."

"Bloody hell!" Cole turned around to see that Blackwall was taking on four Venatori, and by the looks of it, could use some assistance.

"Look out!" May squealed while hiding her face with her palms; Cole looked over with wide eyes as he barely had any time to react.

He turned his back to the oncoming fireball and shielded May as the fire knocked him down to his knees, making him double over by the shear impact and held onto May tightly. _Why didn't that burn me…?_ He looked around to see a faint blue hue covered them, he turned around to see another mage use their own fireball to kill the other Venatori.

He looked down at May, her eyes were clenched shut, but she slowly peaked up at him, "Are…" He steadied his breathing.

"Are you ok?!" May looked up at him with swollen, red eyes that streamed tears down her rosy red cheeks.

"I do hope you're all right dear," a pleasant accent came up to them as the mage helped Cole up by grabbing him by his bicep, "you took a rather heavy hit." The mage looked at them with worry, but by the looks of him, he didn't even look like a fighter of any sorts; more like someone who would be pampered to the highest extent possible and more.

"I'll be fine…" Cole cringed as he tried straightening himself out, clearly he was lying.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…" the mage smirked, "You are a brave boy if I've ever seen one, taking a hit like that for a young girl, it's simply adorable. If it weren't for my barrier though, you'd be in worse shape…"

Both May and Cole contorted their faces, "What? We're in the middle of fighting…" Cole frowned at the mage.

"Oh, well, that part is true, I can't argue with that…" he turned around just in time to throw another fireball at an oncoming Venatori warrior before turning his attention back to Cole, "I suggest you get to the Chantry, you're clearly in a lot of pain from the impact..."

Cole just nods as the mage sets another barrier on themselves, making sure to fight off the Venatori before they rushed into the Chantry, letting someone else close the door behind them as Loch ran up to them.

"May!" He took the girl out of Cole's arms, letting him hunch over as May's uncle inspected her, "Are you all right? What happened?" He looked over to Cole, "Thank you so much, boy." He gave Cole a bear hug, making him scream in pain as the man's arms nearly crushed his damaged back. Loch quickly set him down, "I'm sorry, I just… thank you, so much."

A potion was handed to Cole by the fancy looking mage, he quickly downed it and sighed as the pain was starting to numb away, "It's all right… I'll be fine." He straightened up and gave a small smile before looking over to May, who was coughing profusely due to the flame's smoke from earlier, but still kept his smile, knowing she'll be all right now.

Loch patted May's head, "What's your name?"

"I'm Cole." He simply replied before being pulled away by a healer, who set him down on a bench and moved his shirt up, but he quickly shoved it back down, "What are you doing?" He asked innocently.

"I need to check your back, see how bad the damage is." She told him, "A mage told me you took a hard hit, I need to see." Cole mentally sighed while reluctantly letting her pull his shirt back up as he rested his elbows on his knees. She lightly felt his toned back while tracing his ribs; with each one, he held back his cringes before she was done, "You have a few cracked ribs, and some bruised ones." She pulled back a strand of light brown hair behind her ear before pulling out some gauze and started to tightly wrap his torso.

"So, that's your friend?" Loch asked curiously as he looked down at her before they rested against a cooling wall.

May nodded as she watched Cole hesitantly stand up and pull his shirt back down before going off to help the injured. She smiled at this and mentally pleaded for him not to disappear again.

Cole heard these thoughts and let a small smile appear as he hid his face with his hat. _Don't worry… I won't._

* * *

**A/N:  
The story and art belongs to cartoonartist on Deviantart, I just write it out.  
Please review and thank you for the favorites/follows! My friend and I appreciate it :)**


	4. Fires of Passion

Blistering cold winds constantly whistled passed the roaming Inquisition as they trudged through the knee high snow. Loch and May were trudging along with them; despite the snow being weakened by the several people ahead of them, May was still shorter than a lot of them and was still a child, making it harder for her to keep up and be noticeably dragging behind. Her uncle was carrying a hefty amount of supplies as is, but he couldn't simply let her fall behind.

"May," Loch spoke up, "I'll carry you from here on out after I find someone to take these damned supplies, or at least most of them."

May shook her head while rubbing her arms, "No, I can keep up." She shivered under her breath as she started to try picking up the pace.

He just shook his head, "It's one thing to have determination, but this isn't the time, nor place, to try acting tougher. You're a kid for fuck's sake, sometimes you have to remember that you simply don't have enough strength as your elders do."

May frowned and avoided eye contact with him, knowing full and well it's true that she's not as strong as she'd like to be, but it didn't mean she couldn't try.

"I'll carry her." May turned around to see Cole standing there.

Loch arched a brow, but shook his head, "Alright, I'll be just a bit further ahead if you need anything." He adjusted the strap across his chest and carried on forward.

Before May could even say anything, let alone protest, Cole stood in front of her and squatted down just enough for her to hop on, "Come on, we don't want to fall behind." Cole looked back at her and gave her a kind smile.

May just sighed before hoping onto his back and letting him carry her as he began to walk forward with ease, "What about your ribs though?" She curiously asked, "I heard that you had a few of them cracked… Are you ok?"

The blond didn't want to admit it, but his ribs were indeed still hurting. Not as bad as before of course, if they were, he couldn't even bear the thought of May on his back. The health potions helped though, that was enough for him, "I'm fine, don't worry about me," he reassured her, "it doesn't hurt." Well, that part wasn't a total lie, but he didn't want her to feel bad or anything.

"Are you sure?"

Cole just nodded, "You should rest, you seem tired."

She didn't want to admit it, but she was exhausted. It's not enough that she nearly died in a burning building, but they most likely lost the Herald after she drove off the dragon and Dark Spawn Magister with an avalanche. It panged her at the mere thought of not seeing that kind elf again… not to mention they've been walking through this snow for what seemed like hours, being that they can't even see the sun due to the storm, but just knowing it's there because it's not dusk yet.

She just nodded and quietly said thank you as she cuddled up to him before slowly dosing off to sleep; thankful for the fact that Cole was still here, and not a dream.

**ooOoO0OoOoo**

With a light yawn and dazed eyes, May slowly took in their surrounds to see it probably just now turned to dusk as the winds were cooler and the light from the sun barely showed anymore. She was still warm as she remembered that Cole had been carrying her this whole time and felt a pang of guilt at the mere thought of his ribs. The young girl looked to Cole's hat, seeing that it had some snow on it now and some toppled over as he continued to trudge through the snow.

"Hey Cole…" She rested her head back onto his shoulder, barely even speaking loud enough for him to hear over the whistling winds, "If you're tired, you can put me down."

He just lightly shook his head, "I'm ok, I don't get tired easily." He gave her a reassuring smile, "I'm fine."

"What about your ribs?" She asked with a hint of curiosity.

Even though Cole was an overt spirit, he wasn't about to tell her that his ribs did indeed hurt; not wanting to worry her or anything, he just bared the pain and shoved it down for her sake, "I'll be ok, don't worry, it'll heal."

"I know… I just…" She thought for a moment, but her heart started to ache as it literally felt like it was going to pound out of her chest. She rested her cheek on his shoulder and tried to hide her face from everyone else around her as tears started to stream down her face and be soaked up by Cole's shirt.

Of course the spirit could feel her warm tears lightly dampen his shirt, but he didn't exactly know it was crying until her breathing hitched and her grip tighten on him. "May…" he spoke loud enough for only her to hear, "What's wrong…?" His voice was careful, as if he were walking on thin ice that was recently salted.

"I… I…" she choked on her own words and had to desperately swallow the lump in her throat before speaking, "I feel like a burden… I got you hurt because I ran… maybe…"

He knew where that sentence was going, "You can't change what happened. Even if you could, do you really think things would be better or worse?"

May raised her head, curious of what he was saying, "What do you mean…?" Her cheeks were burning red and it was still hard to breathe, but the cooling winds helped.

"Everything happens for a reason. If you didn't run, the Venatori would have caught you, and I couldn't have done anything about it." He turned to look at her, "You're very brave. It's one thing to run, but it's another thing to do _nothing_." He looked straight ahead, "I've seen plenty of people do nothing… it never turns out well."

"But…" She wiped the tears away, but still held more in, "I still got you hurt."

He just shook his head, "I've dealt with worse." His voice lightened up a bit, hoping she'd get off the topic and move onto something else, something more that wasn't about his injury.

May closed her eyes before looking down and mentally sighed, she rested her head on his shoulder again before asking, "Are you really a spirit?"

He impetuously stopped for a moment before taking a hesitant step forward, "I thought I already told you that…" He looked a little vexed, since she was being redundant with this topic and not really taking his word for it… can he blame her though? It's been a long week for the poor kid…

"You did, it's just… a little hard to believe…" she frowned and looked away for a moment before speaking again, "I mean, I partly believe it, and I want to completely believe it…" She trailed off as she pushed a few strains of hair behind her ear, "a part of me doubts though… I'm sorry…"

Cole mentally sighed before looking at her with his peripheral vision, "It's ok, people tend to forget me anyway, so the things I'm doing now won't matter later on. Eventually, you'll forget too." He looked back forward, not wanting to meet with her concerned gaze.

She tightened her grip on his shoulders, "I don't ever want to forget you…" Her voice was quiet, but meaningful none the less to the spirit.

He felt that she's being honest, it touched his soul, making him feel warm inside as he let a small smile curl before letting his thoughts about her flow, "Words warm like fire, like a soul, but never burning. A flame you can touch and feel for all the greedy, but only given to those who need it. Passion is a roaring fire that can never be tamed, only shown, yet beautiful all the same."

May opened her mouth to speak, most likely question what he just said, but quickly closed it as the words sank in like warm honey down a dry and cracked throat. It was… oddly soothing, healing really. Her warm smile finally showed as she finally relaxed and eased her grip on him.

A couple more cold windy hours later, the Inquisition found a good place to camp and started setting the tents up while making blazing fires. Cole spotted May's uncle helping with the supplies and set her down; she almost immediately ran over to her uncle and hugged him while he gave her a squeeze back. Cole just smiled at the little reunion before returning to his calm state as Loch waved him over. He was curious with what he wanted, but did as he gestured and strolled over to them.

"Thank you, Cole." Loch's eyes were warming with a hint of protection as he patted May's shoulder.

Cole lowered his hat while he shrugged, trying to hide his bashful self, "It was nothing… I just wanted to help…"

Loch grabbed the spirit's shoulders and gave him a tight hug, "I won't ever forget this… you've helped May three times now, even saved her life, this isn't fucking nothing, boy." He held him out at arm's reach and showed a kind smile, "If you need anything, just ask." He let go of his shoulders and patted him on the back before tending to the supplies.

Cole just let out a mental sigh with relief as he turned to walk away, but felt a pair of eyes linger on him; so he turned around while he was walking and saw that May was waving at him with a big smile. He couldn't help but smile, with a warming smile like hers, who couldn't? He returned the wave before turning back around and casually walked away to help the others.

After Loch helped a few more people, he led May to a makeshift tent and they both sat down together. The young girl let out a puff of air as she huddled to herself; Loch just let out a tired sigh before wrapping her in a blanket and finally relaxing as he smirked.

"Some job this turned out to be," His words were dripping with sarcasm, "Putting you through all of this… nearly dying." He shook his head and grumbled, "Perhaps it would've been better if you went with some other damn family… live a cushy life and not have to worry about being caught in a firefight."

She gave a soft smile before nudging him with her shoulder, "I don't want to leave you though, who would remind you not to burn the meat?"

He let out a small laugh before holding her close and kissing her head, "Says the person who nearly cut off all her fucking fingers earlier." He let her go so then she could groan in peace and hide her face with her hands as she rested her head in his lap. He petted her head and softly spoke, "I forgot that it's your birthday today… it's past midnight."

She lightly laughed, "I thought closing the breach would be my only present," He curiously looked down at her, "I don't really want anything more."

"Of course… you never really liked asking for anything." He commented, "But, being alive is a pretty decent fucking present if you ask me." May just shook her head and playfully rolled her eyes, "Get some rest… we're gonna have a long journey ahead of us." She didn't protest to this and easily fell asleep.

_"__The night is long~ and the path is dark~ look to the sky~ for one day soon~ the dawn will come~"_

May groggily woke up to this with eyelids heavy like lead as the familiar tune soothingly rang through her ears. Feeling a little bit of hope with this old song, she came out of the tent to join in, but spotted Cole tending to a person and couldn't help but smile; knowing full and well that he's not leaving any time soon now.

* * *

**A/N:  
The story and art belongs to cartoonartist on Deviantart, I just write it out.  
Please review and thank you for the favorites/follows! My friend and I appreciate it :)**

**Btw, I'm terribly sorry that this is late, stuff happened and... yeah, sorry. Hope you enjoyed though :3**


	5. Rejuvenation

It's been a few days of traveling, but as a new day came and the sun reached its peak, the wind finally decided to die down along with the falling snow. All that stood in their path was a freshly powdered snow that stuck to the bottom of everyone's shoes as Sanya led the way, with the help of Solas. Soon in the distance stood a giant construction that seemed to be as old as time itself as the stone bricks were cracked and looked lightly withered; but the grey stone showed to stand strong and ready for just about anything anyone dared throw at it. May could only stare in awe at the massive construct as they walked the matching bridge with her uncle by her side.

"It's like a castle…" Her eyes were filled with child-like gleam as she adjusted her bag and took in her surroundings of the barren area, she felt a hint of worry at the mere thought of trying to make this place livable again…

"Technically, it's an Elven fortress," May looked to up to her right to see Solas casually strolling by while keeping a sharp eye out, "and a good one at that." He kept walking, not really letting her respond as Loch ruffled her hair.

"Well, that's one thing you can check off your list of things to do." He gave her a smirk, "Now all you need to do is find a way to be invited to an Orlesian ball." He then went with some of the other staff to find the kitchen area, well, that's what May presumed anyway, and quickly followed him before letting the thoughts of actually going to an Orlesian ball and looking beautiful filled her head too much.

"Look at this!" A tall, scrawny looking man with black, slicked back hair along with a stubble in his thirties exclaimed as he angrily threw his arms in the air, tossing aside some of the rusted through kitchenware while continuing to look through the other parts of the dusty old kitchen, "It's a bloody fucking embarrassment at the mere thought of cooking in a place like this!"

May cringed at the sight of the man, Marcus was known for throwing little tantrums when things took a left turn, "Look," Loch grabbed his shoulder and made him stop, "we still have some supplies, so if you'd just calm the fuck down-"

"Calm down?!" Marcus knocked away Loch's reassuring grasp, "What we have isn't nearly enough to feed a whole army!"

Loch furrowed his eyebrows as he was getting ready to counteract the man; May wouldn't stay and watch though, watching her uncle like that scared her… so she slipped away from the kitchens and explored the area, or tried to. There were frantic servants and soldiers running around while others were staying in their spot, making sure not to get into anyone's way. So May stuck to the edge of the building to at least make sure she wouldn't be the cause of someone tripping and falling just because she or them didn't watch their way.

The thought of where Cole might be crossed her mind, but he was surely busy, just like everyone else seemed to be around here… but then she poked her head into a building people seemed to be constantly walking in and out of, so before she got into anyone's way, she slipped through as the door was closing and saw that it was the servants quarters, or presumed it was since there were several rooms with two-three beds big enough for only one person each. Some people were already settling in as she walked through the corridor. The walls where made with the same brick as the outer wall it seemed, but the bricks were smaller and smoother, yet showed age with the few cracks and holes from rodents no doubt, along with spider webs occupying most of the upper corners of each room.

She continued to stroll down the hallway until she was met with a rather smaller room than the rest, yet peeked her interest due to the fact there was only one bed in the far corner with an oak wood bedside table and a matching small closet. As she stepped into the room, she found that it only had enough room just to stand in and maybe take a few small steps, it was weird to her how there was just one small room like this… there were probably other small rooms, but maybe only a few like this.

The small brunette decided to plop down onto the bed with a soft **_poof_** before crossing her arms under her head and taking in a deep breath through her stomach, then letting it out slowly in an attempt to relax from the stressful travel. She looked out the small window to see a little bird perched on the sill while eyeing her back for a short moment before flying off to who knows where. May simply closed her eyes and cleared her head, just wanting to stay here and have a few moments to herself before going back to the kitchen and help out cleaning. Really though, she was just waiting for her uncle and Marcus to get done arguing, not that this is the first time they've argued, but May never really liked being around her uncle when he was angry.

"May?" A familiar voice called out her name, causing her to open her eyes to see it was her uncle, "How long have you been here?"

She looked back out the window to see the sun hasn't moved that much, as confusing as that was, it only seemed like she's been here for a few minutes. Mentally sighing, she hated it when time passed by quickly when no one wanted it to…"I've only been here for a few moments…" She sat up on her bed and looked up at him, "When'd you get here?"

"Just a bit ago." He went back to looking at the rooms, but turned his attention back to the room May was in, "That's a freakishly small room…"

"Yeah… Can I have it?" Her sweet smile returned to her as Loch lazily gazed in the room.

He just shrugged his shoulders, "Sure, guess it's good you're not claustrophobic huh?" She nodded in agreement as she started to set her things to make it seem more like her own room… and that no one else confused it as an empty space and would take it for their own. That was one future argument she did not want to get into… Nor be tempted to start.

**ooOoO0OoOoo**

Most of the kitchen staff who weren't injured or dealing with a lost loved one were working on cleaning the kitchen of the mold and dust that's been gathering for who knows how long. Some of the workers were mumbling though, just in earshot of May, saying how this kitchen is a damn near lost cause and that it would take a lot of time to make it into decent condition again. She couldn't help but agree with them, seeing as how most of the wooden furnishings were splintered and in dire need of repair, or they could just replace them, even then, that would require recourses they didn't have, nor have the time to gather at the moment.

She looked over to the fire place that was probably once beautiful and used for keeping the general area warm during winter; its wooden exterior appeared to have taken hours, even days to carve the delicate designs into it and fill it in with iron so then the exterior wouldn't catch fire. She followed the metal pipe up to see that it led to the roof, oh how she wanted to burn some firewood and finally be warm for at least a few minutes… Sadly though, there wasn't much firewood for use as most of the wood looked like it was full of rot. She knew better to burn rotting wood, it would most likely cause everyone in the building to get sick and then the illness would most likely spread… she stopped herself before thinking too much on it before moving the rotting wood outside, then decided to move on to working off the mold and built up fungi in the corners of the room along with some of the tables.

After she worked off most of the mold, a fellow kitchen staff member offered to take over and block off the mouse holes. Relieved by this, May finally stood up after doing her time consuming activity and went over to look into the cupboards she could at least reach.

"Hey May," She turned around to find her uncle cleaning off a counter. How could a man like him simply stroll in without her noticing though? He had a club foot and could be heard for miles off it seemed like… she must have really been consumed in cleaning every spec of mold she could find a second ago, "look in that cupboard." Loch pointed to the one that was a few steps away.

She arched a brow at the man in confusion, but did as he said and looked in it to find several recipe books that filled every shelf to the brim of concaving in on itself and tumbling to the wooden floor below her. She couldn't help but get a comical gleam in her eyes that could easily remind anyone of a toddler in a candy store as she quickly scanned the spines of the books for the titles before turning around and running over to her uncle to give him the biggest hug she could.

He just chuckled and patted her head while lightly hugging back, "Thought you might like them, finally you can do _something_ in your down time."

May looked up at him and pouted cutely at his sarcasm, "Oh? Keeping you from neglecting your food because of the staff isn't enough for you?" She couldn't help but smile at her own remark as Loch ruffled her hair.

He grumbled with a smirk before going back to his cleaning, "Dammit, get back to work, we need at least _one_ decent spot to cook within the hour."

May took a deep breath and mentally sighed, setting aside all the joking until later because he had a point, and she wasn't going to slack off because of all the books her uncle probably stumbled upon… she'll most likely "steal" a few books and take them to her room later on if she remembered.

The meal they ended up making was the rations they've been making for the last few days; just some slices of bread, mashed potatoes, some beans, and a few pieces of meat. It wasn't enough to fill the bellies of anyone, but it was enough to keep people moving, and that was enough. Especially since Sanya returned somehow and was now not only able to close rifts like she's done before, but now make them. It astounded nearly everyone as the Elf now took the lead and was titled "Inquisitor". It was an honorary title, yet a questionable one to some because she's in fact, an Elf.

Sanya gave hope to those who've lost it, and that's what counts. She alone raised moral and made this day seem like a victory to a battle, but the war was still continuing, and everyone knew it. The strong walls around them made everyone feel a little more secure now, safe… that only added on to the victory the Elf conquered with them.

May gave a silent sigh as she only heard a scarce few soldiers complain about the food now, well, it still hurt a little, but not as much as it did before they found Sanya again. With the day winding down along with the sun, May retired to her room to read with what little daylight she had left without lighting a candle; hoping that she could at least read herself to sleep.

…

Of course this doesn't work though… hours seemed to pass after the sun settled down behind the horizon, making it colder than she hoped as she tried getting warm with the thin bed sheet that was left behind probably after the few times this place had been raided. She'd go into Loch's room to get a blanket she stupidly forgot to get earlier, but she didn't want to risk waking him up with the creaky hinges that were in desperate need of an oiling. She couldn't complain right now though.

The little brunette slipped out of bed and held a decently large recipe book in the nook of her arm as she quietly opened the door with a slow, yet quiet creak, before leaving the door cracked behind her with her lit candle to help her guide down the hallway without making any more sounds than she intended to in the first place… not like she was trying to be noisy in the first place, creaking doors just sort of happen.

She made it to the kitchen area, hoping that at least her imagination of there being a roaring fire would warm her up a little as she sat down at a relatively clean table. She then placed her candle down before peeling open the book and carefully reading it, trying her hardest to remember everything to the tiniest detail to make whatever seemed appealing.

Her eyes soon failed her though; before she even realized it, her eyes closed and her head was resting on the open book. Despite it being below freezing, she fell asleep within hours and showed no signs of waking up soon.

Soon after May passed out, a young man in rugged leather and cloth whose face was hidden with a wide hat strolled in with an armful of usable firewood and set it in the fireplace. He quickly glanced over at the sleeping child at the nearby table, making sure she was deep asleep before pulling out his daggers and quickly sliding the sharp blades against one another.

**_Shhhhhink!_**

A few sparks flew and hit the wood, making a few embers as he protected it with his cloth covered hands and gently blew against it, making the flame bigger by carefully tending the fire until the flames seemed manageable on their own. With a small smile, he stood up and patted May's head before leaving the kitchen to check on other things while mentally noting to himself to come back every so often to make sure the fire was still controllable; but none the less, left May to her sleep for now.

* * *

**A/N:  
The story and art belongs to cartoonartist on Deviantart, I just write it out.  
Please review and thank you for the favorites/follows! My friend and I appreciate it :)**

**And thank you guys so much for the support, we highly appreciate it :3 sorry for the lateness... I'm very forgetful on most days unless someone reminds me, so don't be shy about asking at random times when the next chapter will come out, that'll most likely get me working on it. Thank you guys again and I hope you enjoyed.**


	6. Cheese Wheel

As the people who lived at Skyhold worked, time seemed to fly by rather quickly; from it being just a few days to a couple weeks have passed, and now the fortress really looked like a being could live in it comfortably, or, somewhat comfortably. There were still things to do, but people could finally relax and smile at their hard work. The soldiers even helped by lending the staff a hand with moving rubble onto wagons and guarding them from bandits as they crossed the bridge to dump it.

With the work from Josephine, a steady amount of supplies such as food and resources have been pouring in with the help from the Inquisitor's hard work with gaining the approval she needs to gain power.

But, back in the kitchens, May has been promoted to a full on staff member, despite her uncle saying "she's too cotton headed" They were heavily short staffed due to the attack on Haven, so they took all the help they can get. No more cutting veggies or simple prep such as boiling water and setting a fire for this young woman.

With the kitchens becoming busier by the day, May had less opportunities to go find Cole and at least have a nice chat with him, but, she couldn't be happier with her current position. All she really wanted to do was tell him a dream she had a few weeks back that seemed a bit too real for her. She woke up to a roaring fire the night she fell asleep in the kitchens while having a lingering touch on her head from what she thought was from Cole. Only a few questioned where the fire had come from, but just figured it was best not to question the gift horse in the mouth.

With a tiring sigh, May wiped her brow with her forearm before setting her cutting knife down, along with the peeled plums in a bowl and set them aside for the next fruit she had to cut up. She went to the other side of the kitchen and swiped a few apples for carving before returning back to her spot; but impetuously stopped within a few steps of her spot when she noticed something off.

"Where are those peeled plums…?" She mumbled to herself before forcing her feet forward to her spot. She looked around and no one had the peeled plums in their hands, or were anywhere in site. "No one could've taken them while I was gone… right? I was only gone for a moment…." She scratched at her temple while trying to figure this out. She even asked the other cooks if they've seen the plums, but no one had seen them, or were just too busy to notice such a small thing go missing.

With a grumble, she walked out of the stuffy kitchens and took in some fresh air; it seemed like it had been forever since May breathed in fresh air and just relax for a moment or two before sleeping. Now wasn't the time for sleep, for it was still day time and she was on a mission… well, a personal mission really.

"What? Peeled plums on the window sills?"

May arched a brow as she turned her head to listen to a few guards that were leaning against the kitchen walls, "Yah, it's been attracting so many flies, it's really bothersome." The guard rolled his eyes at the mere thought of it.

"Do you know how they got there?" the female guard asked while tilting her head.

"No, it was like a ghost just decided to put them there."

_A ghost?_ May pondered about this for a moment, thinking about the only being who could be a ghost. Who was the only person who could disappear without a moment's notice and no one would ever know they were there in the first place…

**_Click_**

With a little growl and her gaze turning into a glower, she started her march to look for a certain somebody, "COLE!" for she hated the thought of wasting food.

After an hour or so of looking for the boy, and asking if people have seen him, she headed up the stairs in the tavern to see that Iron Bull was right. Cole cowered slightly at the mere impact of her glare.

"You're mad at me…" He simply stated like a guilty child would to a parent.

"Well yeah! You took food from the kitchen and just left the plums out to rot…" May grumbled while pushing her bangs back, tempting to rip out her own hair, but knew better, "Why would you do that?! It's such a waste; I can't even comprehend why anyone would do this…" She shook her head while trying to control her breathing and speaking through clenched teeth, "We could've used that for the soldier's meals…"

"Well, spiders need to eat…" The blond hesitantly spoke up in defense, then was about to open his mouth again, but May glared at him, then he quickly closed it.

"What does that even mean?!" Her eyebrows were furrowed as she tried her hardest to keep her cool, "You can't just steal food from the kitchens like that!" With a final huff, she turned around and stomped her way down the stairs.

Cole was admittedly a little irritated too, but just shook his head and sighed, mumbling to himself, "She doesn't understand…"

A few days have past, and a fuming May was still apparent as her poor excuse for a poker face was still working in the kitchens and serving the people in Skyhold. As she held a tray of food in her hand, she passed out food to some of the healers who were in a bit of a rush to get back to work, therefore not really having the time to go in a line and wait to be served.

One of the male healer's face cringed a bit as he merely gazed at May, but he straightened up as he asked her, "So… May…. Anything bugging you lately…?"

"Nope." She snipped, her eyes widened as she realized how rubbish her attitude was and sighed, "I'm sorry about my poor attitude, it won't happen again."

"It's alright," He held up his hands in defense, "we all have those stressful weeks."

"More like days…" She mumbled to herself, but realized him and the other healers heard her and she facepalmed, "I am just so sorry…"

"May," One of the other healers with boy-cut light brown hair placed a hand on her shoulder, "what's wrong?" the female healer gave May a sweet, genuinely warm smile, "You're still just a kid, right? A job like this can be very stressful."

"It's not the job, really, it's not…" May lowered her head and took a calming breath before speaking again, "Someone has been stealing food from the kitchens and I just hate the thought of food not going to people who need it more rather than greedy thieves who probably **_waste_** it." She didn't realize it, but her tone turned rather bitter towards the end as a light growl could be heard when she said 'waste'.

"Uh…" The male healer scratched at his scalp and moved his blond hair back, "We're sorry to hear that… but, on the bright side: since the fruit turns rotten, it attracts flies, which attracts spiders, therefore; giving us a decent amount of spider webs to use for the injured soldiers and other people who need it." He gave a small smile before turning towards his meal, "Sorry about the food situation, but thanks for the meal."

May merely stood there, frozen like a statue until it seemed like lightning struck her and she started moving again, getting back to work before her uncle called her a 'cotton head' again for having her head in the clouds about half of the time. She mentally facepalmed as she knew what she had to do next to make it up to Cole from her little short-sighted outburst.

**ooOoO0OoOoo**

Later that night, Cole was sneaking around with a handful of mints while keeping a sharp eye out for May; not wanting to get another scolding even though she might be asleep, it's better to be safe than sorry. He walked along the wall of a stone building and noticed something odd. Taking a couple steps back, he saw a windowsill with a bowl of peeled plums that he didn't place.

_Who did this…?_ He asked himself as he unintentionally tilted his head and arched a brow. It's possible that someone else is starting to copy him just to spread the good deed or take credit for his work, but kitchen staff wasn't allowed to merely hand out food unless it was time to eat… plus it would be odd to just hand out a bowl of peeled plums to just anyone.

**_Click_**

His eyes partially widened before his face softened into a calming smile before patting the peeled plums and going back to his intended location for the placement of his mint, "Thank you," He mumbled, "you're helping."

**ooOoO0OoOoo**

The next day rolls by and May is on a short break from her work, and she's taking that break by walking outside of the kitchen and thinking to herself, debating whether to go apologize to Cole now or later, or if he's even in his little corner right now. She just puffed out her cheeks and sighed while continuing on her slow stroll.

"HEY!" May's eyes opened wide as she fell on her bum from the sheer surprise, "What are you doing? I could've sliced your head off child!" A rugged yet feminine voice that seemed to be hardened by battle yelled in May's direction.

Time seemed to have stood still as May looked up at the woman with short black hair and dark eyes with scars that were no doubt from combat, she only blinked a few times before the woman spoke again, "Get up already!" The woman ordered, and so May followed that command by scrambling to her feet and dusting herself off.

"I'm so sorry, Cassandra!" May's eyes were wide with fear as her teeth clenched from the mere sight of the soldier, she's only been close to her through serving her in the mess hall, but not _this _close.

"Ease up, I'm not going to bite your head off." Cassandra sheathed her sword, "You're one of the kitchen staff, no?" Cassandra's face didn't react to May being as scared as she looked, "You're rather young to be working a full time job for an army, don't you think? It looks like it's been stressing you out…"

The small brunette shook her head, "No ma'am, I love my job."

"Then why the big sigh?" Cassandra's stone face was not budging, it was like it would always be stuck in her eyebrows being furrowed, "If it weren't for that, I would've made your head roll."

May had a light blush and turned away, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you…"

"Look at me in the eyes when you talk to me."

"Yes ma'am, I'm sorry." She stood at attention and looked Cassandra in her menacingly cold eyes.

"Now…" She leaned against the training dummy, "What's the problem?"

"I um…" May was more than confused… Cassandra was known for being hard on anyone in her way and could break bones just by looking at the person, proving that she's just as capable as any other soldier, despite her being a woman. She once heard that you have to be twice as strong to get half the respect from men, don't know where she heard it from… but it seemed proof enough from her travels with her uncle.

"Well?" the soldier's voice raised a bit to get May's attention, "I don't have all day."

"Er… I yelled at a friend the other day and we haven't talked since…" Her shoulders slumped as she recalled the recent memory, "I want to apologize, but I don't know if they'll be mad at me or not."

"This person is your friend, right?" May nodded to Cassandra's question, "Then you have nothing to fear. If they were truly your friend, they would hear you out and wouldn't be mad enough to keep you away, true friends don't do that."

"I… I guess you're right…" She tilted her head as she thought about it.

"I am right, now quit skulking and go apologize already; your negative aura is bad for the people's health." Before May could even respond, Cassandra merely picked her up by the waist and moved her to the side before pulling out her sword and bashing away at the dummy.

She didn't know if Cassandra was being serious with the negative aura thing or not, but she quickly shook out all thoughts and headed to the tavern to find Cole.

After a minute or two of walking, May made it up to the attic to see that Cole was sitting down; but as soon as their eyes met he stood up and stared at her curiously. May blushed a bit as she walked up to him and didn't meet his gaze. She was acting like she got caught taking a cookie from the cookie jar and was just inches away from admitting it.

She took a breath of confidence and looked up at Cole, "I'm sorry that I yelled at you the other day, I…" She sighed and let her shoulders slack, "I didn't understand before… but, now I do." She smiled up at him, "The plums attract flies, and the flies attract spiders, which make webs for the healers to use for the injured people around here…"

Cole softened up and gave a genuine smile before giving her a warm hug, "Thank you for understanding…" May blinked a few times before returning the hug with a big stupid grin on her face, "I know it was you who put out the plums last night."

He released her and she let out an awkward giggle, "I have no idea what you're talking about." He just shook his head and grinned, "But, I do have something to tell you."

He arched a brow and tilted his head, "What is it, May?"

"If you need anything from the kitchens, just ask next time, because I know it was you who's been stealing mint." She pouted, "I was going to use some of it in a recipe…"

"I'm using it for-"

May held her hands up, "I don't want to know, I probably won't understand it at first… we're getting more, but just ask if you need anything and I'll see what I can do. Last time people weren't pleased to find some of the ingredients go missing, makes people believe there's a thief amongst us."

"That's why I took away the daggers." He simply stated.

"What… How? I…" She let out a frustrated sigh and smiled, "I have no idea how daggers relate to anything in the kitchens, but the point is: ask me next time, all right?"

He simply nodded before cupping his chin and thinking as if he were in his own world for a moment, completely ignoring May as she tried to look under his hat to see his face. After his short moment, he turned his attention back to her, "Can I have a cheese wheel?"

Her jaw was left slightly agape as her shoulders completely slouched, then she shook her head and straightened up a bit, "Like… part of a cheese wheel or…?"

Cole formed a circle in the air with his hands, "A whole cheese wheel."

She was simply flabbergasted at the request as she tried to think of why he'd want an entire cheese wheel, "Why…?"

"For the rats." He simply stated.

She put her face in her hands and let out a big sigh, "I'll see what I can do…"

"Thank you, May." Cole sweetly smiled to her as she walked back to the kitchens.

* * *

**A/N:  
The story and art belongs to cartoonartist on Deviantart, I just write it out.  
Please review and thank you for the favorites/follows! My friend and I appreciate it :)**

**Sorry again for the lateness XP Life has been... very "lively" I think... yeah, thanks again guys! :3**


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